PARRISH, ALABAMA: A missing nine-month-old baby, who was last seen on Monday evening, July 10, in the Alabama town of Parrish, has been found well and alive. Harlow Darby Freeman was initially reported kidnapped from outside a Walker County home but was discovered inside her father’s SUV deep in a patch of vines across the street from where the vehicle was reported stolen.
The authorities have now made a shocking claim regarding the incident on Tuesday as they said the child was never abducted in the first place and it is likely that the SUV was not stolen. The law enforcement officers found Harlow just before 8.30 am yesterday while they conducted their fourth search of that area.
What did the authorities claim?
“Daylight was our friend on this one,’’ said Parrish police Chief Danny Woodard, according to Daily Mail. The chief added that she was found still in her car seat. He also said that Harlow had some ventilation due to a broken window of the car from an unrelated incident. She was in good condition and hydrated when discovered and was taken to Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham to be checked out.
The SUV was likely not stolen
Woodard said that the investigation is currently ongoing, but they think that the vehicle was never stolen. He said that it is a possibility that the SUV was not put into park for which it rolled hundreds of yards down a large embankment and into the thick vines, known as kudzu. He said that it is also possible that someone else could have done it. “We’re just not sure yet,’’ he said while adding there is no threat to the community.
What happened to Harlow Darby Freeman?
Parrish police were called to 311 Crest Avenue just before 7 pm on Monday after Harlow’s father reported that his daughter was in the car seat in the back seat of his SUV when he visited a friend's house. The family claimed a minute later that the car was stolen with Harlow still inside.
Woodard said on Tuesday that police had several reports of the SUV speeding away from the area. At 9.40 pm, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency issued an Amber Alert. The police chief said that the area where Harlow was found was about 100 yards from the Crest Avenue house where her father was visiting. “They saw what they believed to be the bumper in the kudzu,’’ Woodard said. “They were able to get other people down in the woods looking and found it.”
Woodard said they will now go back and ask everybody and then consult with the Walker County District Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges could be filed. “It’s probably too early to say that,’’ he said. “This is not something that happens in a small town like Parrish,’’ Woodard said. “This is a strange turn of events. Luckily, the child was found safe and we’re going to continue to investigate.”
Harlow's mother made a distraught appeal
Bethany Smith, Harlow's mother, posted on Facebook that her daughter was in her car seat in the back of an SUV when it was stolen. The vehicle was reported to be a white 2009 Lexus RX350 with tag number 3880AR8 and has damage on the rear passenger side and appears to be taped with clear tape. “I’m begging you to please bring my baby to me,’’ Smith wrote. “You can drop the baby off wherever you want, just call me or message me and let me know where she is. No questions asked, I swear.”
